Fairmont Empress

Name: Fairmont Empress
Address: 721 Government Street, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 1W5
Rating: 5.0

Victoria, British Columbia View map

Rating 5.0 out of 5

7 reviews

2 to 250 Guests

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About

2 to 250 Guests

The Fairmont Empress is a luxury hotel located in Victoria, British Columbia, that caters to wedding parties big or small. This hotel venue offers personalized, attentive service in a picturesque setting full of elegance and sophistication. The business has won a number of awards, including being named a Conde Nast Readers' Choice and Gold List hotel and Travel + Leisure's top Canadian hotel.

Facilities and capacity

The hotel has more than several event spaces, with both indoor and outdoor rooms. Some of the most noted rooms include The Crystal Ballroom, The Palm Court, The Ivy Ballroom, The Library, and The Rose Garden. The Crystal Ballroom is the venue's space with the highest maximum capacity, holding up to 280 guests. The 30-person capacity Library, meanwhile, best serves more intimate gatherings.

Services offered

Fairmont Empress offers a team to help couples plan their wedding at this location. Their services can be used to plan the following:

Bridal shower
Ceremony
Engagement party
Reception
Accommodations
Cake
Catering/bar
Event planning
Lighting/sound
Outside vendors

Other services

Aside from hosting weddings, the business is Vancouver Island’s largest convention and events destination. Guests can enjoy an afternoon tea, full-service spa, or fine dining experience. A wonderful elopement package is also available to all couples.

Highlights

Type

Ballroom, historic, hotel, marina, restaurant

Style

City, classic, coastal, garden, glamorous, vintage, waterfront

Event Services

Accommodations, bridal suite, cake, catering / bar, event planning, lighting / sound, set up

Reception Site Fee - Peak Season

$1,000

Plated Service (per head)

$75

More information

How many event spaces or rooms does your venue offer?

What kind of settings are available?

Indoor

Uncovered outdoor

Which of the following wedding events does your venue service?

Ceremony

Reception

Bridal shower

Engagement party

Rehearsal dinner

What catering services do you offer?

Buffet

Cocktail reception

Dessert

Family style

Hors d'oeuvres

Outside cake

Plated

Server(s)

Stations

Tastings

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)

Cash bar

Champagne toast

House wine

House liquor

Liquor license

Open bar

Premium liquor

Signature drink

Specialty beer

Specialty wine

What event items are available?

Aisle markers

Aisle runners

Audio equipment

Centerpieces

Chair covers

Dance floor

Decor

Drapery

Furniture

Lighting

Chairs

Tables

Tents

What food and beverage items are available?

Barware

China

Chocolate fountain

Flatware

Glassware

Linens

What transportation and access is available?

Parking

Valet

Wheelchair access

Do you have a site fee for wedding receptions at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding receptions during off-peak season?

$1,000

Do you have a site fee for wedding ceremonies at your venue?

Yes

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during peak season?

$500

What is the starting site fee for wedding ceremonies during off-peak season?

$500

Which of the following are included in starting site fee?

Set up

Clean up

Event planning

Chairs

Tables

Linens

China

Flatware

Glassware

Lighting/sound

Bridal suite

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$75

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$35

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeurves?

$35

Which of the following are included in the cost of wedding catering?

Server(s)

What is the starting price per person for bar service?

$35

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartenders

Rated

5.0

out of 5.0

Quality of service

Rating 5 out of 5
Response time

Rating 5 out of 5
Professionalism

Rating 5 out of 5
Value

Rating 4.9 out of 5
Flexibility

Rating 5 out of 5

7 User photos

+ 3Photos

Order by:

Mahshid H. Married on 11/08/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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Beautiful venue.. Amazing services

It was super easy to plan a last minute wedding with the help of our amazing wedding coordinator, Florine. She is professional, friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and exceed our expectations. she helped us throughout the entire planning even with some vendor selection/recommendations. The team is super flexible. Our food and drinks were also excellent! We both had a pleasure working with this venue and highly recommend them.
Sent on 05/08/2020
Jaime H. Married on 20/07/2019

Rating 4.8 out of 5
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Wonderful luxury venue

We hosted our wedding at the Empress. My fiance and I stayed in the hotel 3 nights and our ceremony was in the Library with our reception in the Shanassey. We did a brunch buffet for our meal and also did our cake with their in house bakery.

The quality was amazing on all fronts. We had a wonderful time with excellent service. It wasn't cheap by any means but was worth it for an excellent experience. 😁
Sent on 01/08/2019

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Thank you very much Jaime! It's been a pleasure to receive all of you and be a part of your special day. Congratulations to the both of you and feel free to share some pictures with us as well :-).
All the best, Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
Joanna V. Married on 01/09/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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Beautiful wedding venue

Our wedding at the newly renovated Empress Hotel was incredible. The hotel is absolutely stunning and Victoria itself beautiful in September. The service from our wedding coordinator Florine was professional, responsive and exceed our expectations. Florine is the best wedding coordinator you could ask for! She was knowledgeable and made helpful recommendations to us. She is also incredible nice and a pleasure to work with. Our food and drinks were also excellent.
Sent on 04/10/2019

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Thank you very much for your kind words Joanna, it's always a pleasure to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and we couldn't be happier to hear that you had a fun and memorable wedding at Fairmont Empress! We can't wait to see the pictures :-) All the best to the both of you!
Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
Victoria Married on 15/06/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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A True Fairytale Wedding

We are so happy we chose the Empress as our wedding venue! Our wedding was truly a dream come true and it was absolutely perfect in a large part due to the amazing work of the team at the Empress.

Our wedding coordinator Florine was an absolute pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure everything was taken care of for our special day and she made a fantastic team together with our wedding planners Anouk Fitzner and Emma McCormick at The Good Party!

We had our ceremony in the Library, which is a perfect space for a very small and intimate wedding like ours was. Our reception was in the Shaughnessy Ballroom, which is a beautiful space with lovely columns and a very classic feel. We also had our rehearsal dinner in the Bengal Lounge, a wonderful historic space perfect for a family gathering. The food at the Empress is exceptional, and we received so many compliments from our guests. We were accommodated in a very romantic and beautiful harbour view suite, which was so memorable and a great background for getting-ready photos.

We would very highly recommend the Empress, and we believe that it is definitely one of the best wedding venues in the world! Thank you so much Florine and your team for making our special day absolutely perfect!
- + 2Photos
Sent on 30/09/2019

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Hello Victoria, thank you so much for your kind words. It's been an absolute pleasure to get to know the both of you and help you plan your Fairy Tale Wedding. It was truly beautiful and so filled with joy and love that we still remember it :-). Thank you for sharing those gorgeous pictures and for keeping in touch. All the best to the both of you :-).
Florine - Wedding & Proposal Manager
Bruce Married on 01/06/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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Naiomi & Bruce's Wedding

The Empress was first class all the way from beginning to end! They were friendly, flexible, professional and very easy to work with. The service was top-notch and the food was beyond amazing!

The Empress wedding planner, Florine, was so easy to work with and worked so well with our wedding planner Emma McCormick at The Good Party! With the two of them working together we knew that we didn't have to worry about a thing except to enjoy our day together with family and friends.

We would highly recommend the Fairmont Empress and their team with Florine to anyone looking for an amazing venue and experience!

Naiomi & Bruce
Sent on 01/07/2019

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Thank you so very much Naiomi & Bruce for your kind words. Your wedding day was spectacular and I was truly honored to be a part of it! Feel free to come and say hello whenever you are in the area. Congratulations to the both of you again and all the best!
Florine Battaglia - Wedding & Proposal Manager
Aggie S. Married on 01/06/2019

Rating 5 out of 5
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Magical wedding venue

We toured a few dozen venues around Vancouver Island & sunshine coast, but nothing compared to the Empress - stunning renovations, attentive service, iconic location, and simply beautiful spaces for our wedding. The entire team (doormen, concierge, housekeeping, banquet servers, etc) at the Empress impressed us with attention to detail and exceptional service. Big shout out to Lisa and the absolutely wonderful Florine!

Our wedding day went off without a hitch - our guests loved the food, atmosphere, Empress Gin, and the delicious GF wedding cake. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.

We are already looking forward to spending our anniversary here!
Sent on 14/06/2019

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Thank you so very much for your kind words Aggie! I am so glad to hear that your wedding day was magical and that you all had a great time with us! It was a stunning day and we were honored to be a part of that! We wish you all the best in the world and see you at your anniversary :-). Florine Battaglia, Wedding & Proposal Manager.
Priscilla C. Married on 18/08/2018

Rating 5 out of 5
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Amazing staff and services

The services at the Fairmont was top notch! The staff was very friendly, from the valets, to the bellhops, to the front desk, to the banquet captains, event coordinators, servers, etc. Everyone went over and above to make our wedding as effortless and memorable as possible. The event coordinator I was assigned, Nicole, was very helpful and she was always available by phone or email. and responded in a very timely manner. She also helped break down information for me whenever I had no idea or understanding. For the pricing as well, everything was very reasonable and they helped detail charges to the cent. Definitely recommend here for a venue and also recommend their onsite AV company for mics, uplights, etc.
Sent on 04/09/2018

Fairmont Empress's reply:

Priscilla, thank you very much. It was an absolute pleasure to work with you on your amazing wedding. The staff still rave about how beautiful and moving the entire event was. Your very kind comments are most certainly appreciated and we will make sure that everyone is aware. Once again, thank you very much for selecting Fairmont Empress to be a part of your family's history. We take this honour very seriously.

Allan Nichols
Manager, Catering Sales